Bee Keeping in Illinois

When I was very young, Illinois was the leading producer of clover seed.  My grandfather was a bee keeper so that he would have well pollinated cover.  About 2/3 of our crops require some sort of bee pollination including many vegetables and fruit trees.  This Prairie Farmer Article details the growth of the bee industry in Illinois.  It makes me curious as to how the industry can be growing when many allege that we are killing bees with chemicals.